Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of An Online Skills Program On Ela Achievement Among Ged Students, Gwendolyn Amanda Flowers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

K-12 schools are more commonly using online learning to supplement traditional classroom learning. Previous online adult education researchers have found no significant differences between traditional and online learning outcomes. However, little research has been done with regard to online General Educational Development (GED)-level learning for adults. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the effect of the Skills Tutor program compared with traditional learning on GED student achievement in reading/language arts. The Skills Tutor program was used as a means to address the low GED graduation rates at an adult education program through Memphis City Schools. This research …

The Relationship Between Middle School Configurations And Student Success, Asia Ali-Hawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public schools have used varying school configurations for middle grades-typically K-8 or traditional middle school arrangements-to improve students' academic outcomes. A small Northeastern school district was experiencing problems with student achievement, suspensions, and truancy, and was considering school configuration as a potential method of improving student performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the associations between school configuration and student achievement, suspensions, and truancy. Erikson's psychosocial theory of development and Dickinson's middle school philosophy guided this study since both address the needs of adolescents. Five years of archival data were collected from 2 demographically comparable Northeast school …

Investigating The English Language Arts Placement Of Struggling High School Freshmen, Pamela Burke-Haug

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study addressed a suburban school district's placement of academically at-risk English language arts (ELA) 9th graders as the district transitions from the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) to use of the unfamiliar and controversial Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Based on the theoretical frameworks of the zone of proximal development, cognitive apprenticeship, and Bandura's model of self-efficacy, the purpose was to understand the characteristics of struggling (labeled 'academic') ELA students, placement practices and perceptions of these practices, and placement improvements. A purposeful sample was recruited of 7 staff members …

Exploring The Meaning Of School Bullying Among Parents Of Victimized Children, Mildred Peyton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying in American schools has increased to what some have considered an epidemic and is a major problem among youth. Bullied youth experience poorer mental health and lower school performance, in comparison to those who are not bullied, and the growth of bullying has raised concerns from parents, schools, policy makers, and human-services professionals interested in prevention and intervention of bullying behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore how parents whose children experienced school bullying perceived school administrators, teachers, antibullying school policies or programs, and their family's dynamics, to better understand the parents' internal experiences. The theoretical framework …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Caregivers' Support For Their Preschool Children's Language And Social Skills Development, Sheri Stein Blum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some children have difficulty communicating due to a lack of age-appropriate language and social skills. Researchers have explored how music and language share features that shape language processing. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis was to explore the experiences of caregivers of preschool children who participated in a music-based program and to understand their perspectives related to children's language and social skill development. Learning style and sensory integration processing theories were used as framework to provide foundations of skills in this study. Research questions addressed caregivers' choices related to this program for their children, their experiences of their children's …

Examining Biopsychosocial Factors In The Drive For Muscularity And Muscle Dysmorphia Among Personal Trainers, Beau J. Diehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to assess the presence of muscle dysmorphia (MD) and a drive for muscularity (DFM) in 1,039 personal trainers using the Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory (MDI) and the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS). Muscle dysmorphia is considered a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder that can be exacerbated by an intense DFM, which may in turn lead to negative psychobehavioral outcomes. Because personal trainers are an unresearched population with regard to these 2 constructs, a multidisciplinary framework was used to ground the present research study. Independent variables were structured using a biopsychosocial foundation where the biological dimension …

The Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program, Ellen Riina Hirsch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective professional development is a longstanding problem in education. Locally, the school district in the study lacked a comprehensive system for evaluating their secondary level professional development programs. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the district's professional development program, specifically examining its perceived strengths and weaknesses. The conceptual framework of the study was systems theory and the adaptive schools reform model. The research questions examined the perceptions of various school personnel on their experiences with the current professional development program at the study district's high school. Individual interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 3 teachers, …

Relationship Between Stress Burden And Perceived Support Among Elderly Male Spousal Caregivers, Stephanie Fitzsimmons Sexton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As older couples age, often one partner becomes more competent and able to care for the other, in which case they are able to remain in their homes. In one township in the northeastern United States, the caregiving role had a significant effect on the lives of elderly men who care for their wives. The purpose of this quantitative project study was to determine the relationship between perceived stress burden and perceived level of social support services and between perceived stress burden and use of support services by elderly male spousal caregivers residing in active adult communities. Watson's theory of …

Sports Participation And Gpa For African-American Male Students, Demetrit Scott Rusin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Improving the academic success and graduation rates of African-American males has been a major focus of both scholars and practitioners in the United States. Locally, African-American males at an urban Title 1 school were experiencing the lowest grade point averages, American College Test scores, and graduation rates in the district. In response to these academic declines, this study focused on the tenets of Bechtol's sports participation theory, which holds that students who play sports experience greater academic achievement and adult success in life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between total hours of high school …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Low Rates Of Influenza Vaccination Among Older African Americans, Delia Roxanne Howson-Santana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Influenza vaccination is recommended for persons with high-risk health conditions such as chronic diseases to prevent flu-related complications and death. African Americans 65 years and older have consistently been reported to have the lowest influenza vaccination rates compared to all other racial groups, despite having higher rates of chronic diseases. A review of the literature indicated that there is a dearth of qualitative studies examining the grounds for these low rates. In this study, 15 African Americans 65 years and older were interviewed to explore the factors that contribute to low rates of flu vaccination among this racial group. Research …

Health Behaviors, Hardiness, And Burnout In Mental Health Workers, Jeremiah Brian Schimp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout has emerged as a significant and costly issue in the modern workforce. Researchers have not fully explored the role of individual health behaviors and personality in burnout among mental health workers. The knowledge gap addressed in this study was the connection between health behaviors, what mental health workers do to take care of themselves, and hardiness, the characteristic way they perceive and interpret environmental challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of health behaviors and hardiness among mental health workers on the 3 dimensions of burnout as measured by the MBI-HSS: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and …

Attitudes And Behaviors Of South African Women And Psychosocial Determinants Of Gonorrhea, Takiyah White Ndwanya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence of gonorrhea had declined since the HIV epidemic in the late 1980s, but is now increasing globally due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant forms of this disease. In South Africa, the incidence of gonorrhea is highest among Black women due to their high co-infection rates with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study examined the psychosocial determinants of gonorrhea among Black women aged 18 - 35 in the Langa township in Cape Town, South Africa. All participants had reported at least one sexual experience and at least one positive test for gonorrhea in the past two …

Social Support As A Mediator Between Attachment And Relapse In Women, Jamie Lynne Wong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prescription pain medication abuse is a developing social problem in the United States. This quantitative study, grounded in attachment theory, examined relationships between attachment, perceived social support, and relapse. It was hypothesized that significant relationships existed between (a) attachment dimensions and relapse and (b) perceived social support and relapse. A further hypothesis was that perceived social support was a mediator in the relationship between attachment and relapse. Participants were 69 adult females, each of whom completed a demographic questionnaire; the Advanced Warning of Relapse (AWARE) Questionnaire; the Experiences in Close Relationships, Revised (ECR-R); and the Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ). A …

Abstract Uneducated Injustice: A Social Cognitive Approach To Understanding Juror Misconduct And Verdict Errors, Melinee Melissa Marie Calhoun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A continual problem in the adjudication of crime in the United States is the continued occurrence of erroneous convictions and acquittals. This problem impacts the victims of crimes as they endure emotional and mental distress of additional investigations and new trials. Defendants are impacted by errors in verdicts because of the loss of freedom while being factually innocent. These errors may occur because jurors may not be knowledgeable of their role, right and responsibilities. Without regard to the judge's minimum instruction, the jury is not provided direction on the purpose and limitations of their roles. Guided by the social cognitive …

The Role Of Teacher Perceptions In Parental Involvement, Crecenra Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the changing field of education, there is awareness of the benefits of parental involvement on student achievement and the impact teachers have on the success of parental involvement programs. However, teachers may rely significantly on their personal experiences as a source of reference for parental involvement and subsequently impact student achievement. There is a gap in the research about the lived experiences of teachers regarding their perspectives and support of parental involvement in the classroom. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore teachers' lived experiences and attitudes concerning parental involvement and student achievement. The conceptual framework for …

Retaining Behavioral Healthcare Employees Of The Millennial Generation, David W. Gomel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the behavioral healthcare field is experiencing an increased demand for services. This increase is based on the availability of healthcare coverage to an estimated 13.4 million previously uninsured individuals. To meet this demand for treatment, the workforce of behavioral health therapists must grow. The largest generation entering the workforce, the Millennial Generation - those born after 1980 - is believed to lack commitment to their employers, frequently vacating their positions for the next best offer. The purpose of this case study was to determine factors that both affect retention …

Personality Factors And Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Initial License Success, Cynthia Catherine Devita-Cochrane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Commercial nuclear power utilities are under pressure to effectively recruit and retain licensed reactor operators in light of poor candidate training completion rates and recent candidate failures on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license exam. One candidate failure can cost a utility over $400,000, making the successful licensing of new operators a critical path to operational excellence. This study was designed to discover if the NEO-PI-3, a 5-factor measure of personality, could improve selection in nuclear utilities by identifying personality factors that predict license candidate success. Two large U.S. commercial nuclear power corporations provided potential participant contact information and candidate …

Educating Medical-Surgical/Staff Nurses To Improve Nursing Knowledge Of Patient Education, Focusing On Health Literacy, Justin Thomas Loew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A primary problem faced by a majority of medical-surgical nurses is a lack of knowledge and skills necessary to improve health literacy among patients. This inadequacy among medical-surgical nurses is often linked to insufficient training on how to identify and interact with patients with lower health literacy. Improvement of patient health literacy can be realized through proper training, education, and a better application of communication strategies. The aim of this project was to improve current medical-surgical nurses' practice guidelines via the use of educational programs. The project developed pilot protocols and policies in order to improve its practical applications. The …

Strategies Healthcare Leaders Use For Leadership Development, Julie Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education and training of potential leaders are essential, and chief executive officers (CEOs) need to identify effective leadership development (LD) programs that foster successful leaders within the healthcare industry. The purpose of this multiple, exploratory case study was to explore LD strategies used by CEOs in hospitals in Central Florida, United States. The overarching research question investigated what executable LD strategies healthcare leaders needed to ensure sustainable growth and successful leaders. The human capital theory and the concepts of emotional intelligence and spiritual leadership guided this study. A purposive sample of 8 CEOs participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews to elicit …

Underserved Patients' Perspectives On How The Ehr Impacts Their Health, Marie Mirna Lexima

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Our modern health care system requires technology that can deal with multidisciplinary and complex processes, operations, and situations. The EHR, by far, is one of the greatest health information technology innovations that satisfy these requirements because of its efficiency and the effectiveness of its features. This study sought to develop an in-depth understanding of how underserved patients' perspectives about their health and illness, can contribute to greater use of the EHR. It also sought to improve their health outcomes and maintain sustainable change in the lives of the underserved. A quantitative non-experimental design study was conducted over a 6-week period …

Predictors Of Condom Use Among Middle-Income, African American Women, Yvonne Maire Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome

(AIDS) continue to be a major public health threat, not only within the United States but

also on a global scale. Within the U.S. heterosexual population, African Americans

(AAs) continue to bear the greatest burden of new HIV infections. Additionally,

HIV/AIDS interventions have focused on low-income AA women, virtually ignoring

their middle-class counterparts who may be subject to the same sexual risks. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to determine whether if there was an association between the 5 constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and …

The Cost Of Workplace Bullying In Irish Universities, Patrick Pearse Rockett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employees who demean and degrade coworkers cost organizations billions of dollars every year. Workplace bullying is a business problem that affects up to 15% of employees, and little empirical research is available to establish the extent of bullying in academia. Bullies flourish in decentralized structures, and universities can be particularly susceptible to bullying behavior because of their decentralized structures of teaching and research that promote the growth of microclimates in segregated silos, from laboratories to small departments. The purpose of this multiple-case, census sample study was to explore the cost-reduction strategies that university human resource (HR) leaders use to manage …

The Effects Of Frequent Exposure To Violence And Trauma On Police Officers, Ternarian A. Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers who maintain negative or traumatic information in long-term memory are vulnerable to mental illness, unstable emotional and behavioral responses, interpersonal problems, and impaired social relationships. The cognitive theory suggests that police officers externalize various negative or maladaptive behaviors as a result of frequent exposure to traumatic events. Researchers have found that police officers tend to either not seek mental health treatment, try to fix their own mental health problem, or if in treatment will not be forthcoming with internalized thoughts of psychological distress. The intention of this research was to examine the relationship between police officers' frequent exposure …

Health Literacy And The Level Of Hypertension In Urban Latinos, Marlene Rosetta Glashen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy (HL) plays a significant role in health care communication and patient compliance. Low health literacy leads to noncompliance with health instructions, poor health choices, failure to participate in recommended health screenings, frequent hospitalizations, and higher health care costs. Using the health belief model (HBM) as the conceptual framework, this quantitative, cross-sectional study addresses a gap in the literature related to the research questions of this study. The research questions are: (a) Is there a relationship between HL and the level of hypertension (HTN) in hypertensive urban Latinos?, and (b) Will HL predict the level of control of HTN …

Complementary Alternative Medicine: Awareness And Perceptions Of Health Care Providers Who Provide Systemic Lupus Care, Carmen Ionie Bartley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare providers' awareness and perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in providing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) care. This phenomenolgical study was built upon existing research indicating SLE patients' need to foster better communication about CAM use. Participants were recruited from the Long Island Rheumalogical Clinic in the State of New York. Individual in-depth semistructered interviews were conducted to explore the awareness and perceptions of a purposive sample of 10 healthcare providers who care for patients with SLE. Transcripts were analyzed, and categorical themes were developed. Guided by the use of …

Major Depressive Disorder: Precursors, Predictors, And Coping Mechanism Among Undergraduate Students, Grace Antia Bickham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among college students. The disease perpetuates depressive symptoms and potentially leads to chronic depressive episodes. Existing literature has shown that students who use both cognitive and behavioral maladaptive coping skills are more prone to endure depressive symptoms and poorer academic performance. Despite these known associations, little research has examined the relationship between coping skills and self-efficacy in response to warning signs of MDD in college students. This study sought to fill the gaps in the research of MDD related to precursors, predictors, and coping mechanisms among undergraduate students in a national sample of U.S. …

Gay And Bisexual American Men In South Korea Who Reported Testing Hiv Negative, Tony Lionel Sessoms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gay and bisexual men in the United States and South Korea have some of the highest HIV rates in their countries, and both have the fewest sex education programs and policies for gay and bisexual males in secondary and postsecondary school systems. Consequently, many South Koreans do not view HIV as a South Korean problem, and with American gay and bisexual men living in this type of environment, their HIV sexual protection knowledge and practices may be compromised. The purpose of this study was to gain more understanding and insight into the sex education experiences and sexual practices of gay …

Health-Related Beliefs Among Low-Income African American Women And Their Perceptions About Obesity, Cenora Kimberly Akhidenor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The aim of this study was to explore the health-related beliefs and perceptions of low-income African American women regarding obesity. Phenomenology served as the conceptual framework for this study. African American women, especially those in low-income brackets, have been shown to weigh more than women of other racial/ethnic groups. The consequences of these high rates are increased risks of developing chronic health disorders, such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The study sample consisted of 7 low-income obese African American women, ranging in age from 20 to 62, who resided in the Pacific Northwest. Recruitment for participation occurred via …

Predicting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Children With Prior Mental Health Diagnoses, Earnest E. Airhia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast and subjected the city of New Orleans to disastrous flooding, which resulted in numerous after effects that impacted the children and adolescents of the city. The disaster contributed to high levels of stress, increased risk of psychological disorders, and was associated with an increased percentage of New Orleans children presenting symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help address these problems associated with hurricanes and other disasters, the current study investigated how age, gender, race, and pre-existing conditions increased or decreased the likelihood of a child being diagnosed with PTSD following Hurricane …

Post Hysterectomy Discharge Destination And Risk Of Hospital Readmission In Elderly Women, Ruth Ann Churley-Strom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In elderly women, discharge after gynecologic surgery is often associated with increased morbidity. Little information exists about elderly women's discharge destination after gynecologic surgery and the outcome of early hospital readmission. The purpose of this study, conceptualized using the quality health outcomes model, was to examine whether post hysterectomy discharge destination is an independent predictor of 30-day hospital readmission in women age 65 and older. Examination of covariates included patient age, race, medical comorbidity and complications of care, as well as surgical anatomic approach and operative technique. This study involved use of a retrospective cohort design and data from 10,598 …